CAB129-35 — Page 231

Cicutated 1/6/49 (5.0 μm)

Page 231

THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT

107

SECRET

C. P. (49) 130

1ST JUNE, 1949

CABINET

COPY NO.1

RAILWAY DISPUTES

Memorandum by the Minister of Transport

At the meeting of the Cabinet on 30th May the question was raised whether the Railway Executive had put the facts about the present strike sufficiently clearly to the public and the strikers.

The strike over lodging-turns, and the course of the negotiations over the National Union of Railwaymen's wage claim, are really separate issues, though there is, of course, a connection.

LODGING-TURNS

Taking the strike first, drivers and firemen at certain main line depots in the North East Railway Region came out on Sunday, 22nd May, on unofficial strike. Following a meeting between the Railway Executive and Union representatives immediately afterwards, the Unions undertook to exercise their authority to try to prevent a repetition of the strike on the following Sunday. It would have been unwise for the Railway Executive at that stage to issue a statement as anything of the sort might have prejudiced, or have been held to have prejudiced, the action which the Unions were taking with their members.

In spite of the Unions' action the strikers, however, refused to accept the appeals of their executives and the strike was repeated on Sunday last, and the way was then open to the Railway Executive to make their own position clear to the public and the strikers. On the Sunday itself, the Railway Executive issued the attached statement (Annex A). This explains why they had not previously expressed views in public and goes on to set out the Railway Executive's case. It was augmented by a note (Annex B), explaining the significance of lodging-turns and the history of the dispute.

This statement and the accompanying note were well received by the Press and were extensively used. Generally, the Press has been responsible in its tono and has set out the case with full understanding of the Railway Executive's position. In fact I do not see how we could have hoped for a better Press on the subject.

The latest development in the dispute follows meetings held between representatives of the Railway Executive and the Unions on Tuesday. The Railway Executive had proposed that (a) joint Executive-Union meetings should be held with the strikers, (b) a joint statement be exhibited making it clear that lodging-turns would be governed only by the conditions set out in the statement contained in their announcement to the stafage 236 0B661ayed in all motive power dePage 231 of 366day (see Annex C, page 2), and (c) a joint working party of the Railway Executive, National Union of Railwaymen and Associated

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